Another said, “I’m a financial adviser, and I’m earning about SGD 4,000 to 5,000…it’s barely enough to survive; it would be better if it was more.”
SINGAPORE: In a street interview by Asian Boss Media, local Singaporeans talked about what is considered “poor” in Singapore. The respondents also shared how they make ends meet and answered questions revolving around low income.
After asking one individual, “Do you think there are a lot of poor people in Singapore?” he answered, “Of course. Look at Bukit Merah, you know. This is the lowest-ranked zone in Singapore. Everybody in here…they are all low-income. Rich men don’t come here.” The host also asked another man, who said he works as an architecture consultant, “What do you do for a living, or what did you use to do if you are retired?” To this, he replied, “I haven’t retired. The living standard is so high. I cannot retire. I will be 70 and still work.”
“As Singapore shares the title of the world’s most expensive city with New York, we conducted a street interview to find out about the high living costs in Singapore,” the video host started. “While people in that video shared about the high living costs and expensive lifestyles, this time, we were curious to find out about what’s considered poor in Singapore. To find out, we visited an area that is less well-off to see some different perspectives.”
@asianbossmedia We hit the streets of Singapore to find out what locals do for a living and how much they earn per month. Follow @asianbossmedia for more authentic insights from Asia! #singapore #job #career #salary #asia #asianboss #streetinterview #staycurious
A third said, “I’m a financial adviser, and I’m earning about SGD 4,000 to 5,000…it’s barely enough to survive; it would be better if it was more.”
The host replied, saying, “Actually, SGD 4,000 to 5,000 is considered to be the average in Singapore. But in your opinion, what would be considered low-income as a salary?”
“Low would be SGD 1,800 to 2,200,” the young man replied.
“I would say SGD 1,500 to 2,000,” responded another.
Still, one said, “Below SGD 2,000 is considered to be low-income. SGD 2,000 to 4,000 is average. SGD 5,000 is slightly more comfortable, I would say. Nowadays some youngsters without education, they can get below SGD 2,000. I don’t know how they survive. I guess the government subsidies and supports them.”
An elderly woman shared her experience with having to forego acupuncture treatment for her leg due to the cost. “I used to receive acupuncture because my leg is not very good,” she said. “Because I don’t have a senior citizen card, it costs SGD 30. I can’t afford to see the doctor anymore, and it was no help when I visited the polyclinic. “SGD 60. I have some outstanding bills. I still owe a little, but I can’t afford to pay right now. I said I don’t have any money, and they told me it’s just a small amount.”
At some point in the video, the host asked another man, “How much do you think will be enough?
His response was, “How much? You see, the first thing you need to take into consideration is the family unit, right? If they have got kids…and mother and father are not working or they are old already. How? Your kids need to be educated. They need to go to school. You gotta feed them. So these are the social problems that the government must solve.”
The video host presented the architecture consultant with the question, What do you think can be done by the government to help these low-income people survive?”
“This is not only Singapore’s problem,” he answered. “This is the whole world’s…all countries’ problem. So, I don’t know how to solve it, really.”